25 July – 30 August

On 27 July, two days after the Festival opened, Bernhard Paumgartner passed away. He had accompanied the Festival for more than half a century and shaped its image in various positions of responsibility. Paumgartner founded many of the Festival’s concert series, in particular the serenades and the Mozart matinées. He introduced early and little known Mozart works to the repertoire and was active to the very end in unearthing forgotten music. His position as the Festival president passed to Josef Kaut on 1 August. The board of directors welcomed two other new members, Friedrich Gehmacher and Gerhard Wimberger. Two artists gave their Festival débuts this year: Jürgen Rose, a stage and costume designer, provided décor for the new production of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, and Riccardo Muti made his first guest appearance in Salzburg to conduct Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Herbert von Karajan drew up grand designs for the future: Giorgio Strehler was hired at his behest as the Festival’s artistic consultant for a six-year period. The focus of Strehler’s work was to fall on a new Mozart cycle – with Karajan at the helm.

1971: Anja Silja (Marie) and Geraint Evans (Wozzeck) in the new production of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck.